Islamabad : National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) successfully conducted the first-ever Integrated National Search and Rescue (INSaR) Multi-Hazard Simulation Exercise at the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC), NDMA Headquarters, aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s disaster response through enhanced integration and centralized coordination of Search and Rescue resources.
The exercise was driven by NEOC of NDMA Pakistan projected multi-hazard risk analysis, integrated advanced weather forecasting, satellite data, and real-time monitoring. This enabled the development of predictive hazard scenarios, reinforcing a shift from reactive response to anticipatory action.
Conducted under the INSaR framework, the exercise brought together PDMAs, SDMA, GBDMA, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, Armed Forces, federal and provincial authorities, humanitarian organizations, and trained community volunteers.
The SimEx simulated concurrent multi-hazard scenarios, including GLOF in Gilgit-Baltistan, widespread flooding across multiple provinces, and a major earthquake in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad. These scenarios were based on NEOC’s Disaster Early Warning–2 (DEW-2) and hazard modeling, demonstrating the capability to forecast risks in advance and issue timely advisories.
Participants conducted interactive sessions, demonstrating coordinated deployment across five INSaR teams, with emphasis on early warning-response linkage, real-time information sharing, and unified command. Community volunteers were highlighted as key force multipliers, alongside focus on last-mile communication.
Chairman NDMA, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, emphasized that integrating predictive analytics with response systems is essential to minimize disaster impacts, highlighting NEOC’s role in forecasting hazards and issuing early warnings.
Participants appreciated NDMA’s initiative, noting valuable lessons learned to further strengthen preparedness frameworks in a synergistic manner. NDMA reaffirmed its commitment for institutionalizing such exercises and enhancing NEOC’s role as a national center for early warning, risk communication, and anticipatory disaster management.
